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House of the Week: New England Castle | Cross River NY Real Estate
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5 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Engagement | Cross River Realtor
5 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Engagement
Having trouble engaging your Facebook audience?
If your fans are not interacting with your brand and sharing your content, what value are they?
In this article, you’ll discover how to get more likes, comments and shares. I’ll reveal five strategies for Facebook posts that get your fans buzzing.
#2: Don’t Use URL Shorteners
A recent study by Buddy Media found that engagement rates were three times higher for Facebook posts that use a full-length URL, rather than a link generated by a URL shortener like bit.ly.
Converse fans may have liked this post, but how many actually clicked on the link? Generic bit.ly URLs are less likely to drive traffic to your site.
Why is this?
The likely explanation is that Facebook users want to know where you’re taking them. This makes even more sense considering the fact that Facebook users are increasingly accessing the social network exclusively from their mobile devices (20%, or 102 million and growing).
A shortened URL does not indicate what type of website you’re taking them to, which is a deterrent to mobile users.
But didn’t we just learn that longer posts have lower engagement? Yes, but a URL doesn’t seem to count in this instance.
If you’re worried about post length, use a brand-specific URL shortener that lets users know you’re taking them to your website.
For example, Victoria’s Secret uses http://i.victoria.com/wSl instead of this crazy-long link: http://www.victoriassecret.com/shoes/whats-new/studded-suede-pump-betsey-john…
Get more clicks by using a brand-specific URL shortener. Fans want to know where you’re taking them.
#4: Use the Right Words for Higher Engagement
What you say—or don’t say—on Facebook matters. Certain words elicit more engagement, while others will leave your post dead in the water.
Buddy Media found that action keywords like “post,” “comment,” “take,” “submit,” “like” or “tell us” are the most effective. Be direct in your request, and fans will listen.
Want your fans to do something? Tell them! Fans respond well to specific instructions.
On the other hand, if you’re running a contest, sweepstakes or other promotional offer, fans don’t respond well to direct or aggressive language.
Softer-sell keywords such as “winner,” “win,” “winning” and “events” will make fans excited rather than feeling like they’re being sold to.
Aggressive promotional keywords like “contest,” “promotion,” “sweepstakes” and “coupon” will turn them off.
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Five Year Forecast: Prices Will Rise 8.5 to 22 Percent | Cross River Real Estate
Nominal house prices will continue to rise for the UFA 100, a broad based composite index of 100 US cities. Under current economic conditions commonly used house price indices will rise between 8.5 and 22 percent cumulatively over the next five years, but recovery will be slow for the larger metro areas in the Case-Shiller 10 city composite.
These are the key findings of the latest UFA Mortgage Report by University Financial Associates of Ann Arbor, which successfully predicted increased defaults in Southern California in the mid-90s and the current increases in defaults.
“UFA’s nominal, five-year house price forecasts are solidly positive at both the state and metro area levels,” said Dennis Capozza, who is the Dale Dykema Professor of Business Administration in the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and a founding principal of UFA. “This forecast confirms that for lenders, homebuyers and investors in the residential real estate and mortgage markets it is once again safe in most metro areas to go back in the water.”
UFA has provided accurate and timely house price predictions since 1990 -the original and most credible house price forecasts available. The research that UFA’s principals have done underlies many other popular house price forecasts.
The UFA forecast is rosier than the latest price expectations survey of more than 100 experts and economists by Pulsenomics for Zillow. The September 2012 edition of the Zillow survey found that professional forecasters expect home prices to rise by an average of 2.3 percent during 2012. The survey was compiled from 113 responses by a diverse group of economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists.
The Zillow survey reflects quite a change in attitude toward home prices this year given that three months ago (for the June survey), economists thought home prices were going to fall by 0.4 percent. The lowest price projection among panelist responses was a depreciation of 2.5 percent by the end of this year, while the highest was an appreciation of 9.2 percent.
By 2016, the average price increase of predictions by Zillow’s survey participants was 15.6 percent. The most pessimistic in the survey foresaw a 5.6 percent increase in prices while the most optimistic was a 24.2 percent over the next four years.
House of the Week: Converted Hamptons Windmill (VIDEO) | Cross River NY Real Estate
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4 Tips for Increasing Pinterest Traffic to Your Blog | Cross River Realtor
Why shelves make better storage than cabinets | Cross River NY Real Estate
Last time we talked about how, despite all the fancy cabinets you find in new houses these days, most people still end up storing things in the garage. The reason: While cabinets may look pretty, they’re really not very practical for storing all the oddball stuff that we Americans tend to accumulate.
As anyone who has open wire shelving in their garage can attest, it’s much easier to store and find things on shelves than in closed cabinets. There’s a lot less frenzied door-flinging and “now where did I put that thing?” going on. The stuff you want is either right there in front of your face or it isn’t. This is why your local grocer puts his stock on shelves and not behind doors.
Shelves are also better at accommodating various and odd-sized items, since they’re not interrupted by a lot of vertical dividers the way closed cabinets are. Hence, there’s less bother figuring out how to make things fit or what order to put them in.
The old Victorian idea of the kitchen pantry or larder is a perfect example of this kind of practical storage. Even in the fanciest houses of the time, the pantry was never just an excuse for installing more showy cabinets, as it often is today. Rather, it was a no-nonsense room lined with open shelves that could store a few months’ worth of food and dry goods, along with bulky seasonal appliances such as ice cream makers and canning apparatus.
The separate pantry room was one of the first things to go when houses were dramatically downsized in the Craftsman era, and that was a loss, as anyone who cooks in one of the teensy-weensy kitchens of the 1920s and ’30s can tell you. Not that small kitchens are bad — they’re often much more efficient than the sprawling kitchens found in some of today’s houses. But what’s lacking is a catch-all room like that Victorian pantry, where things can be easily stored and quickly retrieved.
Whether you call it a pantry, a storeroom, a catch-all or whatever, a little room lined with shelves is a practical storage solution that’s cheaper and more functional than all those fancy cabinets people have gotten used to paying for.
So the next time you have the chance to design from scratch or to rearrange the storage you have, instead of adding more cabinets, consider setting aside some floor space that can be closed off with a regular door. An area as little as 3 feet by 4 feet will do, but of course, the more room, the merrier. Ideally, this space should be near the kitchen, but it’ll serve well no matter where it is in the house.
Inside, install adjustable shelves from about 12 inches off the floor to within 8 inches of the ceiling. Most of the shelves can be between 8 inches and 12 inches deep, but if you can, try to include a few that are 16 inches deep to hold awkward or bulk-packaged items. Where space is really tight, shelves as little as 8 inches or even 6 inches deep will still be useful. Although the aisle space in front of the shelves should theoretically be around 3 feet wide, I’ve seen it made as narrow as 18 inches without any real loss of function.
Since the whole room is hidden behind a door, you needn’t fret too much about how it looks. All that matters is there’s a place to put your stuff.
via inman.com
House of the Week: Million Dollar Rooms in Florida | Cross River Real Estate
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Barack Obama Gave A Horrible Answer To David Letterman When Asked About The National Debt | Cross River Real Estate
Barack Obama was on David Letterman last night, and he was asked about the deficit.
Conservatives are seizing on this line, when asked what the national debt was when he came into office: “I don’t remember what the number was precisely,”
But actually his followup was worse: We don’t have to worry about it short term. But it is a problem long-term and even medium-term.”
Obama’s problem has always been his readiness to concede the deficit “problem” to his opponents.
He came into office with aggressive claims about the deficit. Not long after he came into office he announced a public sector wage freeze, in a nod to the wisdom of austerity.
The problem with acknowledging that the deficit is a medium-term problem (which it’s not) is that you then have a hard time making the case that what we need to do is blow out the deficit right now to stimulate the economy. People like the idea (in theory) of taking pain now for good long-term gains, and so austerity seems like a decent tradeoff.
But the US has one crisis right now: unemployment.
Imagine if a fire was raging at a hotel in Las Vegas, and the fire department was about to start hosing it down, and someone started talking about how Las Vegas faced a water sustainability problem, so we shouldn’t put out the fire. Everyone would rightly look at that person like a moron. Conceding that they kind of had a point is insane.
As long as Obama keeps acceding the fundamental claim of the deficit hawks, it’s really hard to make the case for what needs to be done now.
Unattached appliances are personal property | Cross River NY Homes
While the recommendation of writing into a real estate contract items that the buyer wants to remain in the house is good advice, it is also problematic.
The majority of homes under $300,000 are financed FHA. Underwriters are specific that no personal property is to be appear in a contract. Therefore, unattached items such as refrigerators and washer-dryers are left in limbo.
Article continues belowWhen the sellers say items will remain and the buyers trust that they will be left, buyers are unprotected in FHA financing. It is customary in our market that appliances stay with the house, but the FHA buyer has no legal protection.
I think this should have be revealed in the article.
via inman.com
Living in Italy | Cross River Realtor
Lifestyle Activities
Fishing, City, Beach, Ski, Rural, Coastal, Cycling, Hiking, Historic Sites, Mountain, Suburban, Village, Watersports, Hills, Riverside, Woods
Amenities & Services
Tennis Court, Restaurants, Tourist Attractions, Train Station
Building Characteristics
Mediterranean Style, 1 Storey
Property Features
Balcony, Terrace, Fitted Bathroom, Internet Access, Views
Fixtures, Fittings, Furnishings
Satellite / Cable TV, Shower, Telephone
Investment Features
Low Risk Profile, Tourist Rentals
Full Description
UNIQUE LIFESTYLE MEETS BEST VALUE
In an authentic village setting, taken straight from an Italian picture book and in a uniquely scenic, but very central location in the never ending spring of the Riviera of Flowers, only 10 km/6 mi from the sea and 75 km/46 mi away from nice international airport lies a charming domicile which is eminently suitable for lovers of fine art and exclusive Mediterranean décor. Just by the way it´s an outstanding financial investment that was recently recommended by German’s leading business magazine ‘Capital’ .
The historic 17th century house has been lovingly restored by an internationally acclaimed artist and an experienced German property developer. Their aim was to create a “house of art”, well off the tourist trail while still easily accessible from anywhere in Europe. It fuses the authentic spirits of the medieval walls, Italian lifestyle, contemporary living comfort, the natural setting of the “Monti e Mare – Mountains and the Sea” and art as a living environment. The property was completed in 2007 and has been occupied by the original creators since then.
Look forward to discovering this unique 193m²/2075 sq. ft. bi-level living experience with timeless design and a unique ambience. Enjoy the incomparably mild and sunny microclimate of the Riviera of Flowers, breathtaking views, overwhelming silence; direct access to unspoilt nature and the sea with some of the very few beautiful sand beaches on the Costa Ponente nearby. Discover one of the most attractive properties in the region and unique lifestyle together with superior returns and value enhancement. The sale is being made directly by the owners and will be without sales commission. Welcome to Project montalto21…
Further information and offers see www.ikp21.de/montalto21_english
MAGIC MEDIEVAL MEETS MODERN COMFORTS
* Completely restored in 2007, artistically created, 9 room 17th Century house in a beguiling natural location on the Riviera of Flowers
* Direct neighborhood to Europe’s most valuable seaside locations (see ranking of Germany’s leading business magazine ‘Capital’)
* Just 10 km/6 mi to the beach, 21 km/13 to San Remo, 75 km/46 mi to Nice international airport
* Spectacular valley slope location overlooking the course of the Carpesina river
* Best and highest location of the medieval village
* 7 m²/75 sq. ft. balcony with unobstructable valley views, directly adjoined to the living-dining area
* 18m²/193 sq. ft. south-west-terrace with unobstructable panoramic views directly adjoined to the upper level living room.
* Ceiling heights of up to 5 m/16 ft.
* Spacious kitchen-cum-living-room
* Open, antique fireplace featuring bricked in Michelangelo-Relief “Madonna of the Stairs” (valuable museum´s highend reproduction created by a negative mould of the original)
* Tuscan style stove
* Two living rooms or large living-dining area on the lower level
* Living room with library/office on the upper level
* 4 Bed/Guest/Children’s rooms
* 1 Studio (could be used as a Bed/Guest/Children’s room if required)
* Large bathroom with free standing “bateau” bathtub and fresco paintings
* Guest shower room
* Partly new, partly antique doors
* New flooring – partly tiled, partly parquet
* New roof
* New ceilings
* New windows
* New electrical wiring installation
* New sanitary installation
* New central heating with alternative energy recovery (wood pellet oven)
* Restored façade
* 18 m²/193 sq.ft. cellar
* Very low basic such as operating costs
* Just approx. € 7.000 for ground tax and registration
* Fittings and/or artwork may, if desired, be acquired from the owners
* Creator´s Certificate by the artist
* Approx. € 40.000/year income by holiday home rental
* FREE OF COMMISSION directly from the owner
SLEEPING BEAUTY MEETS GREAT TRAVEL CONNECTIONS
The medieval Montalto Ligure lies in the foothills of the Alpes Maritime at a height of 315 meters above sea level on a hillside. The car-free, peaceful and tranquil village-beauty is populated by a cosmopolitan community of 350 inhabitants, just for pedestrians and an ‘Italian Cultural Monument’ itself. The local area is characterized by terraced and river landscapes, chestnut forests and olive groves as well as unspoilt nature. There are many inviting natural pools along the river courses which are suitable for swimming, angling or sunbathing. Countless walking paths and mountain roads lead to evermore discoveries. Whether on foot, by bike, motorcycle or in a convertible; unforgettable impressions, fantastic views and contemplative moments in Mother Nature’s beauty wait around every corner.
montalto21 is located on a spectacular valley slope above the course of the river Carpesina. Car park, Grocery shop, village bar and a very good restaurant are next door. Next town Badalucco is 2 km/1.2 mi, Arma di Taggia and the sea 10km/6 mi distant. Sanremo lies 21 km/13 mi to the west, Imperia 30 km/19 mi to the east. Liguria borders with France 45 km/28 mi to the west. Monaco is 61km/38 mi, the Cote d’Azur 65 km/40 mi, Nice International Airport only 75 km/46 mi away.
To the north the foothills merges with the Alps Maritimes. The nearest ski area is less than 100 km/62 mi distant in bordering Piemont, the regions of Lombardy (Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Lake Lugano) and Emilia Romagna less then 150 km/93 mi away. Amazing Cinque Terre and Tuscany are 250 km/155 mi distant. Individual big italien City flair can be found in Genoa/Genova (150 km/93 mi), Turin/Torino (180 km/112 mi), Milan/Milano (270 km/168 mi) or Florence/Firenze (380 km/236 mi). Not to forgert the globally unique, maritime string of pearls along the coast next door: Menton, Bordighera, San Lorenzo al Mare, Lagueglia, Alassio, Finale Ligure .